Chap. Vm. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 309 



moft farms in Scotland are now-a-days ; though, 1 believe, not fo well 

 as they were in antient times. There are many proprietors, I know, 

 who think that the number of cottagers on their land is a grievance, 

 and they defire to be quit of them ; but, for my part, I am fond of 

 them, and call them my people ; and have a pleafure in numbering 

 them and feeing them increafe, and am forry when any of them 

 kaves my land. 



Thefe obfervations, upon the numbers of fo mean a race of people 

 as cottagers, may appear, to many of my readers, very trifling. But the 

 population of the country muft, as I have faid, depend chiefly upon 

 the number of cottagers in it : And, I think, I have fhown that they 

 are a mofl; ufeful race of men, as by them, chiefly, his Majefty's ar- 

 my and fleet are recruited ; nor without them could the many arts, 

 that are pradifed in Britain, be carried on. And I would have the 

 great and rich landholders confider, that it is the cottagers, chiefly, 

 who fupply the fervants that minifl:er to their wants and to their 

 luxury and vanity. I think, therefore, that it is a duty which every 

 landholder owes to his country to attend t# the population, as well 

 as the cultivation, of his efliate. 



There are many in Scotland who call themfelves improvers^ but 

 who, I think, are rather defolators of the country. Their method 

 is to take, into their pofleflion, feveral farms, which, no doubt, they 

 improve by cultivation : But, after they have done fo, they fet them 

 off all to one tenant, inftead of, perhaps, five or fix who poflcfled 

 them before. There is, however, one improver in my neighbourhood, 

 and a very great improver, 1 mean Mr Barclay of Urie, at prcfent 

 member of Parliament for the county of Kincardine, who has im- 

 proved his whole efl:ate of Urie, and made it, he fays, of fix times 

 the value it formerly was : But, inflead of fetting it off" all to one 

 farmer, he has divided it among many ; and, in that way, has very 



much 



